One person may be charged in Willet Dairy video investigation

The months-long investigation of inhumane treatment of cows and calves on the Willet Dairy farm in Genoa may result in criminal charges against one man, although the district attorney won’t identify him.

Josh Crane, law enforcement chief for the Finger Lakes Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said he is working on the investigation report and will soon turn it over to Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann.

Crane said Willet Dairy personnel have cooperated thoroughly. Crane said he has interviewed everyone involved and brought in help from Cornell University experts in farm operations and animal treatment.

Budelmann would not divulge the name of the person who might be charged.

While the videotape does show incidents occurring at Willet Dairy, Crane said people with Mercy for Animals “misinterpreted what was happening, because they are unfamiliar with practices at that farm.”

For example, at about 24 seconds in, the video shows cows crowded together in one area of the barn. The audio states the animals are subjected to overcrowded living conditions.

Crane said the area, in fact, was the pen where cows are placed before going into the milking parlor. He said the cows spend only 45 minutes a day in this area.

Crane said he found “a high degree of husbandry at Willet Dairy” and that Willet owners have changed a couple of policies as a result of the investigation, such as using anesthetic paste on calf horns before removing them.

Lyn O’Dell, the dairy’s manager, said he wants to see Crane’s full report before commenting, but he acknowledged that the man seen in the video hitting a cow with a tool no longer works at the farm. He agreed the farm has changed some policies, such as using the painkiller when removing calf horns.

O’Dell said he hopes Crane’s report shows the dairy does not harm its animals. The situation has led some customers to stop doing business with Willet Dairy, he said.

Willet Dairy is the largest farm in Cayuga County, with 5,000 cows at four locations.

Mercy for Animals is a Chicago-based animal rights organization that advocates a vegan diet.